Automatic speed-controlled circuit-closure for electric generators.



PATENTED MAR. 26, 1907.

C. E. DAWSON.

AUTOMATIC SPEED CONTROLLED CIRCUIT CLOSURE FOR ELECTRIC GENERATORS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 11, 1906.

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CHARLES ERNEST DAWSON, OF INDIANAPOLIS,-INDIANA, ASSIGNOR TO ARTEMUS W.#ISHER, OF SOUTH BEND, INDIANA.

AUTOMATIC SPEED-CONTROLLED CIRCUIT-CLOSURE FOR ELECTRIC GENERATORS.

Specification of Letters Patent. l

Patented March 26, 1907.

Application filed August 11, 1906. Serial No. 330,253.

1o circuit-closures for electric generators.

Anobject of the invention is to provide a mechanism which will permit anelectric generator to au-tomaticall maintain the electric charge of anaccumu ator battery, particu- 15 'larlya battery used for the ignitingapparatus of an internal-combustion motor.

The invention is also applicable for charging any secondary battery inwhich the motive power used to operate the generator is 20 irregular.

Other and further objects of the invention will appear in the followingdescription and will be more particularly pointed out in the ap endedclaims.

n the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of my invention. Fig. 2is a horizontal sectional view in a'plane through the armature-shaft,showing the circuit to the storage batteries; and Fig. 3 is a detailview of the governor.

Referring more articularly to the drawings, 1 indicates a ase, and'2 apermanent magnet of the horseshoe formation secured uponthe base in aninverted position. At

5 the opposite sides of the magnet are arranged bearing-blocks 3 and 4for the hollow shaft 5 of anarmature 6. W

. Upon one end of the hollow shaft 5 is mounted a peripherally-groovedpulley or 0 disk 7, which is connected by a belt or other transmissiondevice to an internal-combusna motor .or irregular motive power. The

outer face of the pulley is provided with a plinialit of radial grooves8, which decrease 5 1n '(lejpt from the axis of the pulley towardthef'periphery.

' Extending through the hollow shaft 5"is a spindle 9, the? end of whichthat is adjacent t e; pulley7 bein rovided with a disk 10.

o The .face of the 'sk opposed to the groov d face of the pulley isprovided with a like number of radial grooves 8 of like formation, theopposed grooves forming tapering radialraceways between the two parts.

-the end of the spindle 9 Inrthese raceways are located balls 11, whichwhen the armature-shaft is driven at a certain predetermined speed flyby centrifugal force toward the peripheries of the pulley and the disk,10 and cause the disk 10 to move axially away from the pulley. As thedisk 10 is rigidly secured to the spindle 9 the spindle 9 also movesaxially, the purpose'of which will be hereinafter described.

U on the side of the magnet 2' opposite the rive-pulley 7 of thecentrifugal governor a commutator 12 is mounted on the shaft 5. Thiscommutator may be of any suitable form and is inclosed by a housing 13,which su ports the brushes 14.

Erojecting from the housing 13 is a tubular housing 15, which is made'ofinsulating material and surrounds the projecting ends of the shaft 5 andof thesplndle 9. The free end of the housing 15 is closed by a disk 16,the edges of which project beyond the circumference of the sa1d housingand have secured thereto a pair of contacts 17 and 17 the latter beingin the form of a spring and normally tending to move toward the former.

The under face of the contact 17 is provided with a piece of insulation'18, which lies directly in front of an opening 19 in disk 16 and whichisadapted 'to be engaged b rojecting throug the opening 19. To normallyhold the end of the spindle 9 against the insulation 18, I provide meansin the form of a'helicalspring 20, inclosed within the housing 15 andhaving one end abutting the end of the hollow shaft 5 and the other endabuttinga collar .21 on the spindle. 1 I j The contact 17 is connectedby a conducwhile the-contact 17 is connected by a conductor23.with'storage batteries 24, whichare in turn connected by a conductor25 with the other brush 14. I

It will bejnoted that the spindle 9 is nornially held by the spring 20in such a position as to provide an open circuit through the storagebatteries 24. When the speed of the generator increases to such anextent that the voltage has. reached a predetermined point," thecentrifugal governor draws the spindle 9 way fromthe circuit-closer l7,permitting the latterv to move to contact 17 tor 22 directly with oneofthe brushes 14, I p

and to make a circuit from the generator I through the storagebatteries, and when the voltage falls below the predetermined point thegovernor will permit spindle 9 to move and break the circuit. Thus itwill be seen that when the irregular power is running at high speed thestorage batteries are charged and when said power is running at lowspeed the generator does not charge the batteries. By this means it isimpossible for the batteries to discharge through the generator, as atno time when the circuit is closed does the electromotiv'e force of thegenerator fall below that of the batteries.

A further advantage of vthis invention is the fact'that the circuit iscompleted and broken mechanically instead of electrically. F- Havingthus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure byLetters Patent, is-

1. The combination of the generator having a hollow armaturwshaft, acentrifugal governor on said shaft, a spindle extending through saidshaft and moved by the governor, and a circuit-closer in circuit withthe generator, and'operated by the spindle.

2. The combination of the generator having a hollow armature-shaft, acentrifugal a spindleextending governor on saidshaft, through the shaftand .moved by the governor in one direction, a s ring moving the spindlein the other direction, and a circuitby the spindle.

cuit-closer.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signaturein presence of twosubscribingwitnesses;

' CHARLES ERNEST :oAWsoNi Witnesses:

CHAS. H. SoHoLL, J. W. MALIN.

